Folding chair



June 4, 1957 B. F. HAMILTON ErAL 2,794,492

FOLDING CHAIR Filed nay 1e, :1955 2 sham-snee: 1

Q Y i A INVENToRs N' BEnTrs EHHMILTOM BY Enna. EHRMlnoNancZ #72u muro/Y,

June 4, 1957 a. F. HAMILTON Erm.

FOLDING cHAiR 2 Sheets-Shut 2 Filed May 16, 1 .955

. I'NVENToRs Beans EHHmnra/v United States Patent M FOLDING Bettis I'. VHamiltomEaifl Hamilton, and Wiiiiam Hamilton; `WiIliam'-S. Hamilton, executor ofV said Bertis "`F. Hamiltom deceased, .assignor's t'o Hamilton Manulfa'ctuing Corporation, iCdhmbus, Vlud., 'a 'corporation of Indiana Application 'May 16, 11955, -Serial No. A5%,598

8 Claims. (Cl. `155-146) This :invention lrelates 'to folding chairs, Vand vhas for zits tobiect Sthe 'provision-of a ftolling chair which 'may be economically constructed yet lwhich Awill prove sturdy and durablelin-use. A further- Objectis lto 'provide a 'chair which lmay ide-formed largely 'of sheet-metal and metal `itubing. -Afstiilf-"turtherfobjectis-the provision of a chair :willich may be -readily folded and unfolded as desired, muti-which isreleasably'lmaintained inea'ch-of its kcollapsed or extended positions. `These and'otherobjects'of the general improvement of folding chair-s will become apparent astherdescription oour invention'is understood.

ln carrying Yout vour invention in a preferred form, we provide desirably from metal tubing .a jpair of :generally 'Ufhaped leg-foririing members pivotally interconnected togprovidea so-called scissors or Xtype:seat support. In -that itype support, one leg-'forming Jmem-ber dorms Vthe chair "back andthe front'legs of the chair, and the other member forms the .rear chair .legs Land the front support for the chair seat. The seat desirably comprises a-sheetmetal seat plate Ycovered'as 'desired with upholstery, and the side edges of the seat plate are folded back underneat-h the main span of the seat plate to form integrally with the seat plate a laterally opposed pair of inwardly facing channels; and in each of those channels is slidingly received the upper end of the associated one of the legs which form the front seat-support.

Other features of an illustrative embodiment of our invention will be apparent from the more detailed description which follows and in which:

Figs. l and 2 are side elevations showing, respectively, extended and collapsed posit-ions of a chair according to our invention;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of such a chair in collapsed position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the chair seat, showing in full lines the parts in extended position and in broken lines the parts in collapsed position; and,

Fig. 5 is a section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l, showing a detail of construction.

The folding chair shown comprises a pair of leg-forming members -12 pivotally interconnected, as by pivot pins 14, to provide a so-called scissorsor X-type folding chair frame. Each of the leg-members is desirably formed from metal tubing into a general U-'shape The first (10) of such members -is disposed with its free ends downward to provide front legs 18 for the chair. The bight portion 26 of that leg-member 10 frames the chair back, and a pattern of bars 22 desirably is provided to traverse the bight to form a back-rest for the chair.

A seat 24 is provided, and is pivoted adjacent its rear to the leg-member 10, as by pivots 26. The front portion of the seat 24 is supported by the free end portions 28 of the second U-shaped leg-member 12.

The seat 24 is shown as comprising a rigid, sheet-metal bottom-plate 30 onto which may be secured padding as by a known construction employing layers of padding 32 and iinish upholstery 34 overlying an upper seat-plate 36 2,794,492 Patented June 4, 1957 which issecured as by screws to the bottom-plate 30. The "bottomfplate is lprovided with a downwardly extending peripheral ilange 42 whichstiiens the seat and avoids a visible rawmetaledge.

`Along each side edge of .the `seat v24, fthe lower portion of the fange 42 is turned inwardly to `provide integrally with seat-plate 30 .a horizontally disposed lip 44, parallel to'but spaced from plate ."30, the-lip Mend-plate 30 thereby `providing an inwardly-facing channel 46 extending fore-an'd-a'ft of the seat. YIn Ythis-channelfis slidably received a -iinger h50 extending outwardly `from the vupper end of the vassociated `leg portion 28. That -tinger 50 as shown yis provided integrally with theleg ll2 by collapsing -the Atubing of the leg-.portion 28 into lsubstantially solid cross-section and then bendingit horizontally outward.

Relative `movement-of the Angers 50 .along the seat 24, with relative swing of the .two leg-members 10-12, -of course accompanies pivotingof ythe seat aboutaxis y26 between its generally `vertical retracted Vposition and -Aits generally horizontal extended position, the liingers `Sil'travel- 'ing rearward-ly with respect to .the -seat yas the seat is Vswung into retracted position and traveling forwardly as the seat is swung-into vextended position.

`To accommodate travlofthe iingers() along the `seat 24,"the .flanges 42 carry thellips v44spacediron'i the plate "30 a-distance 'suh that the lingers 50 mayslide freely along 'channels 46 'during allpositionsintermediate ltheir extreme 'limits'o'f travel .during collapse `or erectionfof the chair.

.T .restrict 'thee'Xtent-of downward `swing of the seat 'andfsprea'ding of the .leg-members .10e-'12, means are provided to 2limit the Yforward .movement of the lingers ,'50 'alorfgthe channels'ii Forfthat purpose, portions 4of the plate 36 near 'the front ends of such channels arestruck v'downwardly to provide rearwardly vfacing abutments 54 so positioned as to be engaged by ngers 56 just as the chair attains fully extended position.

=For a slight distance rearwardly from the abutment 54 of each channel 46, a portion of the lip 44 is odset upwardly to constrict the channel vertically, as at 58, to an extent such that the associated linger 50, instead of being freely slidable, will bind therein. This binding action opposes, without preventing, movement of the iingers into and out of engagement with the abutments 54. In the operation of extending the chair, the channel constrictions 58 cushion the impact of the ngers on the abutments; and once the chair is fully extended they tend to hold it in that condition until a definite chair-collapsing elort is applied. To retain the chair releasably in collapsed condition, portions of the plate 30 are oiset downwardly to form channel-constricting bosses or detents 60 located just short of the rear limit of travel of the ngers Sil as provided by engagement of the seat 24 against the back 2t). Those detents 60 releasably hold the ngers 50 in position to maintain col-lapsed condition of the chair until definite chair-extending eiort is applied. Thus the chair is releasably held in either its extended or collapsed condition, by the elastic distortion incident to travel of lingers 50 through the constricted zones adjacent constrictions 58 and detents 60, respectively. The grip resiliently effected thereby is such that a more definite effort must be applied to release the iinger than the mere force accompanying a lifting of the chair by its back and other normal handling forces.

The sheet-metal of the plate 3) is easily formed to provide the walls of the channels 46; and the abutments 54, constrictions 5S, and detents 60 are all economically produced as portions integrally pressed from those w-alls. Moreover, the sheetmetal provides the desired resiliency of parts to eiect the releasable position-maintenance described.

We claim as our invention:

1. A collapsible chair, comprising a seat movable between retracted and extended positions, said seat including `a lrigid plate of sheet-metal extending transversely of and below the surfaceV of said seat, saidrplate Vhaving at each side an integral depending -ange the lower portion of which is turned inwardly to provide a lip spaced from said plate, said lip and the adjacent portion of said plate constituting -spaced walls providing therebetween an inwardly-'open channel, relatively movable Asupporting legs for said chair, each of certain lof said legs being provided with guide means -slidably received in one of said channels above said lip and slidablerthereyalong as an incident to movement of said se-at between its retracted and extended positions, said guide means being engageable by said lip in upward movement of the seat to cause relative movement of said supporting legs, and abutment means limiting forward movement yof said guide means in each channel.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said abutment means is pressed from `the metal of said channeldetining walls limiting ythe travel, forwardly of said seat, of said slidable means along said channel. v

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein said abutment means is pressed from -said plate toward said lip.

4. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein at least `one of the walls defining said channel is formed in the region of said abutment to provide means binding upon said slidable means when said slidable means is adjacent said abutment, thereby to releasably maintain the slidable means in association with 4said abutment.

5. The invention set forth in claim l including detent means pressed from'the metal of said channel-defining Walls adjacent the point therealong occupied by said slidable means when said seat is in retracted position, said detent means extending into said channel an amount sutcient to force the parts to undergo an elastic distortion as said slidable means travels rearwardly thereof during full retraction of said seat, thereby to resiliently maintain said slidable means rearwardly thereof to maintain retracted condition of said seat.

6. The invention set forth in ,claim 1 wherein said slidable means comprises an out-turned end-portion of the `associated chair-supporting leg.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said chairsupporting leg is formed from metal tubing having the walls thereof at its upper end collapsed, said collapsed portion being bent outwardly to provide said slidable means.

8. In a collapsible chair of the type having a seat movable between retracted land extended positions, a first leg pair pivoted to said seat, and la second leg pair pivoted Y to said t-rst leg pair, each leg of Vsaid second leg pair having at its upper end means slidably associated with said seat, the improvement comprising, a horizontally-open channel means carried by and extending -lrongtudinallyrof said seat, underneath and adjacent each side thereof, slidably receiving said slidablerrmeans, each leg of the second leg pair being formed of metal tubing and having the walls thereof at its upper end collapsed, said collapsed portion being bent outwardly to provide said slidable means and abutment means limiting forward movement of each collapsed leg-end in its associated channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Nov. 8, 1934 

